How to Waterproof a Basement

Technically there is no way to actually waterproof a basement. Most basic waterproofing occurs when the house is designed. This is called structural waterproofing.  So if you want to know how to waterproof a basement consult an architect first to make sure that three is nothing wrong with the way it was built. Applying sealants, membranes and other waterproofing membranes is quite useless if the design of your foundation and basement is all askew in the first place. 

Employing the principles of structural waterproofing is the best way to waterproof your basement. This means making sure that your foundation is built on an appropriate slope towards a drain in the center of the floor. This means that the floor must slope downwards about a half an inch for every twelve-foot stretch. The basement must be more then 12 feet big in order for this to work. 

You shouldn’t have to waterproof a basement if your house was designed correctly in the first place. Most building contractors apply sealants to the outwards facing walls in your basement to prevent moisture from seeping through. If you are designing a house for the first time then you might want to insist that the contractors put both sealants and membranes on your basement walls to keep it dry. You can also install gutters that are like funnels that run along the baseboards to funnel any floods due to hydrostatic pressure building up behind your basement walls.  These baseboard type covered gutters encourage water to head for your drain and not for your basement or living areas.

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